On May 18, 2025, at approximately 8:35 pm, while in the City of Duluth, County of St. Louis, State of Minnesota, a Duluth Police Officer was traveling up bound Mesaba just passing W. 3rd Street when she received an Automated License Recognition Program ("ALPR") hit for Minnesota License Plate: [PLATE REDACTED] that was traveling up bound in front of the officer. The ALPR hit was for a revoked registered owner, and the officer ran "ZGS359" to verify the status, and received a Canceled-IPS for the registered owner of the vehicle.
The officer observed the vehicle begin to increase its speed as it traveled up bound on Mesaba Avenue, where the officer found itself going 40-mph in a 30-mph and was not able to catch up to the vehicle until it slowed down to turn on W. 7th Street. The officer conducted a traffic stop at N. Lake Avenue and W. 7th Street, and made contact with the registered owner of vehicle, Reece Joseph Townsend [DOB REDACTED], hereinafter "Defendant." The officer advised Defendant the reason for the stop was his speed and the license status of the registered owner of the vehicle.
Defendant advised the officer he was the registered owner of the vehicle and he did not have his identification on him at the time of the stop. A computer check with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety listed Defendant's driving status as Canceled-Inimical to Public Safety with no intervening reinstatement of driving privileges.
